This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
In automating the control of vehicle functions, an active steering system may allow the vehicle to have autonomy and authority independent of the driver. One area where this can create a safety benefit is by allowing the vehicle to override the driver's steering actions during critical situations where the probability of an accident with a leading vehicle is high, perhaps due to the lead vehicle suddenly stopping. In these situations, and with today's technology, today's vehicles can identify which vehicle is in front and its probable path and speed in the near term.
Some current technologies relate to actively steering a vehicle to avoid collisions. These technologies notably detect and account for a leading vehicle in front of the controlled vehicle. These technologies assume that the leading vehicle is the only obstacle and assume that there are adjacent lanes available to steer into without accounting for adjacent obstacles. These technologies do not account for whether an adjacent lane is actually available or the type or condition of an adjacent lane, such as the material or weather that can affect the coefficient of friction between the vehicle's wheels and the lane. These technologies also do not adequately account for the width of the adjacent lane and the possibility that abrupt steering can cause the vehicle to cross through the adjacent lane without remaining safely within the adjacent lane's boundaries.